Rising Tension in the 1930s
The chain of events that raised tension across the 1930s: rearmament, the Rhineland, the Anschluss, the Sudeten crisis and Munich, the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the invasion of Poland.
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Step by step to war
Through the 1930s the leader of Germany took a series of actions that broke the peace settlement of 1919 and made war more likely. Each move that met no real resistance made the next one bolder. This module works through that chain of events in order, from rearmament to the invasion of Poland.
Tension vocabulary
Learn these four terms before you study the events.
Two kinds of move
The actions of the 1930s fell into two kinds.
A chain, not single events
A top answer treats these events as a chain. Each move that was not stopped made the next one easier to attempt, so the stakes rose step by step from rearmament to the seizure of whole countries. Put the events in order and explain how one led to the next, rather than listing them on their own.
Match the event
- the Rhineland, 1936
- the Anschluss, 1938
- the Munich Agreement, 1938
- the invasion of Poland, 1939
- German troops moved back into a demilitarised zone
- Germany and Austria were joined together
- the Sudetenland was handed to Germany
- the attack that finally brought war
Match the term
- rearmament
- conscription
- Lebensraum
- Nazi-Soviet Pact
- building the armed forces back up
- forcing people to serve in the army
- the aim of gaining living space in the east
- the deal that let Germany attack Poland safely
What happened in 1936?
What did Germany do in 1936 that broke the peace settlement?
- It remilitarised the Rhineland.
- It invaded Poland.
- It joined with Austria.
- It signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
Aims of the leader
Select the TWO aims that the leader of Germany pursued in the 1930s.
- To reverse the treaty of 1919.
- To join Germany and Austria.
- To strengthen the League of Nations.
- To reduce the German army.
Order the escalation
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- Germany announces rearmament
- German troops enter the Rhineland
- The Anschluss with Austria
- The Munich Agreement over the Sudetenland
- The invasion of Poland
Complete the facts
Building the armed forces back up was called _____. In 1936 German troops entered the _____. The union of Germany and Austria in 1938 was the _____. At Munich the _____ was handed to Germany. The war began when Germany invaded _____ in 1939.
Years of escalation
German troops remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936 and Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Subtract 1936 from 1939 to find the gap in years. What is the answer?
Spot the land grabs
Tap the TWO events that expanded German territory.
- the Anschluss with Austria
- taking the Sudetenland
- announcing rearmament
- bringing in conscription
Read the moment
Read each situation and choose the best judgement.
- German troops enter the Rhineland and no country moves to stop them. What does this show?
- After Munich, Germany occupies the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939. What does this show?
- The Nazi-Soviet Pact is signed shortly before the invasion of Poland. What was its effect?
Explain the rising tension
Explain how tension rose through the 1930s and led to the outbreak of war.
- Describe how the peace settlement was undone by rearmament and the Rhineland
- Explain how the Anschluss and Munich raised the stakes further
- Explain how the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the invasion of Poland brought war